Credit cards welcome - Having a baby in Moscow

In the spirit of a make believe and a helpful expatriate community that few people inhabit, I thought I would offer a review of the main baby hospital in Moscow, as used by insurance rich expats and by middle class Russian's. If I am honest, this post is really aimed at anyone who has just moved to Moscow or who is thinking of moving to Moscow and currently expecting a child.

I know that having a child abroad, can be scary but if I am honest, I felt more relaxed about having a baby abroad than having a baby back in my own sad country, the United Kingdom. In The United Kingdom, our national hospital service, (that I once worked for, officially known as the "National Health Service", NHS), is in a state of sad decay and having a baby (or in fact any treatment) in one of our state hospitals, is a hit and miss affair, based totally on luck, state funding and the free market have done their best to destroy these once great institutions. If you have insurance, are expecting a baby and live abroad, with a few despot, flea ridden country exceptions, you should get the best treatment and the best service at any private hospital.

Moscow has a good hospital as used by many expat mothers. Its name is the Perinatal Medical centre. A simple Google search will give you the full details. The hospital is not so easy to get to, if you don't have a car, however, many expatriates have drivers, so this may not be an issue for them. Finding the hospital is not hard, using a driving navigation system or you could go by metro train. The nearest metro is Profsoyuznaya and there is another metro but I can't remember the name. You will have to take a tram from the metro to get to the hospital. Before the baby arrives, you will need to register at the hospital on the 7th floor and see your chosen doctor. The doctors come with different prices like fine wines, depending on their age, experience or based on what they value their services at. I know this is very strange but that's how it's done here, so just accept it you can't fight it. We chose the cheapest doctor and he cost us almost 5,000 Euro and this included three nights stay and all medication. Be warned, the delivery contract does not include visits to see your chosen doctor before the baby arrives. You will have to pay to see him or her at each visit and you will have to pay for any ultra sound tests and blood tests. The doctors here don't do the ultra sound testes, a nurse does. An ultrasound will cost  5,500  Rubles and checkup with your chosen doctor, will cost 3,500 Rubles. A baby heart monitor belt, that they will try to sell you, will cost an amazing 250 Euro a week. We were offered one but bluntly refused it as the price was madness. The fear factor, can often get parents to pay for things they really don't need when giving birth in a private hospital or you will buy unnecessary baby equipement for the home or for the car that are a total waste of money.

We had our second child, who was recently born here at this hospital, the first was born in another country. I thought I would find negative things to say about the hospital and the experience here but I could not. The only small negative things to say about the hospital, are that it's hard to reach and the nurses and doctors don't give any instruction on how to care for a baby, hold a baby or take care of a baby, as they do at some other hospitals. This is not a problem if you have had a baby before but if you have not, then you may have to rely on baby books and on Google for answers. The rooms have an Internet connection and you will have time in between breast feeding, to educate yourself on baby care so please don't panic.

The hospital is very modern and very clean, in fact so clean, you could eat your breakfast off the hospital floor. The rooms are comfortable and have bathrooms, they have an adjustable electric bed, a TV and a fridge, I looked for a mini bar but sadly could not find one. The rooms, look like a hospitalized versions of an "Ibis" hotel room. The mother is given five meals a day and the food is hot and good. Fathers don't get any food but are allowed into the operating room, although dads be ready to look like an extra from a bad medical TV series called something like "Doctor Moscow". You will have to wear blue paper trousers, a paper shirt and paper shoes. On your head, you will have to wear a plastic shower cap. The hospital security guards are a bit annoying and you won't understand what I mean, unless you have lived in Moscow for a few months. You will be required to leave your coat in a cloak room and you will have to wear plastic shoe covers over your shoes and you may be subjected to an anal inspection. Leave all your weapons at the door.

I asked my wife for her opinion of the hospital experience and she gave it a nine out of ten rating for all of the above. The hospital is very good but comes at a price. In my opinion, all state hospitals the world over should be like the Perinatal Medical Centre but then I would say that as I live a world of utopia, where everyone would get good medical treatment and where everyone would have an equal chance in life. The reality is we don't live in that world but if you have a credit card and private medical insurance, you will be fine in Moscow. About 90% of expatriates use this private hospital in Moscow to have their baby or babies, the other 10% fly home or use a Russian state hospital, which are probably just as good as a private one but without the modernity. This other 10% use state hospitals, because they are either married to a Russian, speak Russian or know how to use the Russian state system. If you don't know the hospital system here, you would be totally lost at sea.

The last hurdle to having a baby in Moscow, is registering the birth. This is done at a place called ZAGS at Profsoyuznaya Ulitsa, This place has driven many a foreigner insane and changed their hair to white with the stress and anger caused by bureaucracy. The paperwork required to get the birth recognized, could have cost the lives of a small forest in paper. We have yet to walk this path of fire however, on very reliable information, I can tell you that to register a birth, you will need an original apostilled marriage certificate from your county of marriage. Both passports must be translated by an official translation company in Moscow. You will also need the "spravka" paper from the hospital that details your babies existence, they keep this paper, which does not help your bureaucratic quest, so you will need to make a photocopy of it to take with you to the ZAGS office, as without it you can't get a birth certificate for your baby. If you want a copy of the birth certificate, you must pay 220 Rubles in cash, in the exact money, they don't give change.

I almost forgot to tell you, that you will need to speak Russian or take a good friend to help you. If you manage to do all of this, give yourself a pat on the back, drink a case of the finest Vodka and give one bottle to your friend, your baby is now another happy member of this crazy world we all live in and has an official, beautiful name to prove it.

Good luck, to all new mums and dads around the world. Treasure your children and be strict but fair, love them, protect them and educate them.

Note: The above prices and procedures may have changed since dated.

Related stories: ZAGS, Best posts, Giving birth in Moscow as a foreigner,  Countdown to a baby, Having a baby at a Moscow state hospital

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